Potty Training a Shih Tzu Puppy
Are you bringing home a Shih Tzu puppy and feeling a little worried about housebreaking? Perhaps you have never experienced potty training a Shih Tzu puppy before and don’t know where to begin? Or maybe your attempts at potty training a Shih Tzu puppy are going awry and yet you have no idea why?
Well there is a lot of advice on the Internet about toilet training, however some of it is conflicting whilst some is even unfair on the dog. Read on to dispel potty training myths for even the most confused new puppy owner.
When a Shih Tzu puppy is born he will toilet where he lies for the first 10 to 12 days. His mother will clean up after him and then after that she would teach him to leave the nest area in order to toilet. These lessons are very limited though and when the puppy comes home it is up to his new owner to complete the training that his mother began.
Positive Shih Tzu Potty Training
The only way to really succeed at potty training a Shih Tzu puppy is with positive reinforcement. Although advice does still exist which tells us to punish a dog if he toilets indoors, this type of advice is outdated, ineffective and can cause long term housebreaking problems.
Potty training a Shih Tzu puppy should be a fun experience for the dog and an experience filled with understanding for his owner. When you understand your puppy and realize that his toilet training is slow going because of the routine and the fact that he is confused; then this understanding will keep you in good stead with every other area of the life that you share with your new puppy.
Potty Training – Not Punishment
Punishment and potty training a Shih Tzu puppy do not mix well at all. Punishment will make a dog stressed. Even the youngest puppy will become confused and anxious if he is punished for toileting. The Shi Tzu puppy will probably not make the connection with the place that he has toileted and just think that he is being punished for fulfilling his basic physical needs.
Another part of punishment is the worry that the punished Shih Tzu puppy will feel. A dog does not need punishment in order to learn, he actually wants to learn and by punishing him you will just make him confused about everything including your mutual relationship.
Anxiety and stress will cause a puppy to toilet because it naturally makes him feel insecure and unhappy. So, as you can imagine, punishing a puppy for poor potty training will create an endless cycle of anxiety and inappropriate toileting. A puppy has to be taught where you need him to go, when he needs to toilet, he certainly doesn’t naturally know what you expect from him.
For perfect toilet training and a myriad of advice on potty training a Shih Tzu puppy with success it is vital to avoid punishment, embrace positive reinforcement and if you are struggling to make it work why not take a look at our potty training master class here.
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